ejvilla

I like that midfield. Ramsey to stake a claim today - he really has looked very good in preseason and changed the game at Watford. 

Hope AEG is wound up and has a stormer. Seems to do well when he's been doubted.

Only question mark would've been Young for Targett, but would've been harsh on Ashley after doing well last week.

Have only seen the highlights on YouTube but looks very impressive. A bit like Carney in those vids in that he looks like he's playing men vs boys. I wonder if he'll challenge for minutes with the first team this year or go straight back out on loan. Quite happy with attacking options now.

3 minutes ago, macandally said:

Please feel free to point me towards your constructive comments.

Its inflammatory based on your opinion (this is a forum), however, dont get upset when people with a slightly more pragmatic view call you out on it after ONE game.

Good dollop of your own medicine needed there.

1 minute ago, macandally said:

Your interpretation! 

There are some who I struggle to see as fans, given their willingness to spin everything negatively in order to stoke fires.

We are one game into a season, come back in a month if the team is still not up to speed.

Struggle to see me as fan because of how I've interpreted a clear statement?

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised given the powers of deduction you've evidenced. 

Haven't spun anything negatively. Said team isn't good enough for a CL push, with which you presumably agree. Said it needs a DM for a Europa push, for which some would call me optimistic. So it's currently a mid-table side most likely, which is below the goal the club seems to have set. Yippee! Let's all celebrate! 

I would've said my interpretation was positive... and I'm generally positive about where we are & are going. And stoking fires? Do you think Lange is holding a crisis meeting because I've told the interwebs we need a DM?

I'd say fans who spend time thinking and talking about how they'd like to see their team evolve, sharing opinions, are better than those who just attack anyone who's not spunking claret & blue at all times.

3 minutes ago, macandally said:

So he doesnt say that at all does he?

It's the logical interpretation.

Jack left to go join the type of club that can win trophies and plays CL.

Dean says we're 18 months from being the type of club he'd want to stay at.

What about this is difficult for you?

6 minutes ago, sne said:

Maybe as we need 18 months of strengthening to have a squad with players closer to Grealish quality and he was not willing to wait that long and wanted CL football.

European football the season after next seems a sensible thing to aim for. CL is a pipe dream however ambitious our owners are. City, Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool are decades ahead of us.

I agree with your view that CL is miles off.

The club has said though that Europe is the target for this season. Dean has said it and so have the players. I presume it is the target the board have set this year.

In that context, do you think the team is strong enough?

2 minutes ago, sne said:

He actually said that? That's hilarious. 

Yep:

"We at Aston Villa are probably 18 months behind where we needed to be to keep Jack but Jack will show his worth on the highest stage of all in the Champions League, as he did in the Euros in the summer."

2 minutes ago, sne said:

Midfield is not good enough, full backs not good enough but we should expect a top 7 finish and European football otherwise Smith out. Tuanzebe should play as DCM and everyone thought it would be easy to replace Grealish. 

Sure I missed something, not read through most of the threads after the game yesterday.

Well we were told to expect champions league within 18 months by the manager a week ago, then Watford walked through a team that apparently doesn't need strengthening. 

Traore was terrible in preseason games... horrendously bad... and he acts like Mr. Glass when he gets a knock. You think he's acting, then the waambulance arrives. 

He came in and did really well, but he's so inconsistent it would've been difficult to start him. When he's 'on it', he's unplayable.

AEG has his moments and seems like a great lad, but should be playing in France / Netherlands where he'd tear it up. Needs a lot more time and space than he gets in the prem. Also needs less defensive responsibilities. 

Yep. No service. Don't remember a single pass to feet for him. I do think that's all fixable. This was the first time that lineup or the adjusted lineup post-half time have ever played together. 

Ash & Targett - never played together - get demolished. Cash & AEG - unfamiliar - look poor. Ings & Emi - first time together - no understanding. 

Pity it will take time. Need to pick up points to keep pressure off.

55 minutes ago, Xela said:

Christ, some of the abuse one of our own kids got on the match thread is embarrassing. He's a young player, who is still learning. He came into a difficult situation today and did OK. Not amazing. Not poor. We were a better team with him on. 

I genuinely can't think of a fanbase who would be so negative to one of their own young players, like some people on here are. 

Was one of the best on the pitch today. Always find it strange how we all see different things watching the same match.

1 minute ago, mikeyp102 said:

So if he’s better than what we have, surely that’s improving the team? 

Well.. yeah... but it's about priorities. JWP is a minor upgrade on existing staff, a 60M DM would be a major upgrade on a massive hole.

For example, we're not saying we should sign Pau Torres, even though he'd be an upgrade on Konsa, because CB isn't as big a priority. 

8 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

I think he fits a 4-3-3 just fine.

Would be mean moving Watkins out to an inside foward on the left, with Bailey on the right.

Then a midfield 3 of McGinn, NEW, Buendia. 

Pretty much try to emulate how Liverpool play.

That new midfielder better be Viera via time machine!

Watkins playing wider is a worse solution than Ings. Watkins has been the out ball & the defence stretcher. He can hold the ball up as well as any CF in the prem. Ings can't do that. Plus Watkins is a bit headless on the ball out wide. He's like a better Agbonlahor... better control and finishing, but same lack of deft or creativity needed in thosr wider roles. 

So I think you'd have both players in suboptimal positions 

1 minute ago, brummybloke said:

Him and bissouma in that central midfield 2 tales us from soft in the middle to strong throughout the entire spine of the team.

Totally changes us to a team who can dominate the ball and the tempo of a game.

We don't hold or win the ball well and distribution is often too slow going back and forth to a midfielder then defence and back again several times due to lack of distribution, quality on the ball and calmness on the ball.

JWP is as good as we can get at the moment for a recognised quality midfielder. 

 

People want to unearth the next kante for 1 million shekels, we need a quality player there now. Not a punt in the dark no ones heard of. 42.5 to 50 million is what it may take and people are also scared of that. Don't be.

 

I think we're on the same page, but JWP is lower priority. I'd punt 60m on the ball playing holding midfielder though and live with the current squad options. Kante is out of this world, but there have been many ballplaying DMs who would be good enough. 

Is he injured? Richarlison and Martinelli both started

1 minute ago, PieFacE said:

How so?

Doesn't fit any of our best formations currently. We either have to field him out of position or field a weak midfield to fit him in.

Is he really what we need? Genuine question... great setpiece taker, fine midfielder, but he seems like at best an upgrade on the mcginn/luiz/sanson spot when what we need is a Rice, Phillips, McTominay,  Fletcher, Keane sort of midfielder. 

Haven't seen enough of him so happy to be told I'm wrong!

He needs Nakamba to stay in our half! I want mcginn on the ball 35 yds out, not Marv. We need minimum 4 defenders covering for counters in these types of game. Can't have both FBs and both CMs driving on. Konsa & Mings are very good defenders, but Nesta and Maldini couldn't cover the space we left today.

Physically strongest midfielder we've seen in a villa jersey this season (and preseason). Which is great for him, but an indictment of our midfield generally. 

He's a very tidy player. I like that he has an edge too - likes to leave the boot in and put a shoulder into opponents. 

5 minutes ago, RicRic said:

No point mentioning Bailey missing out or rotates that should never have been said because he is one of the first on that team sheet every week ! 

Sure... but we can't play a 2 man midfield from the current staff and play emi, ings, olli & bailey. So someone's missing out.

Poor performance, but knew it was coming based on what we'd seen in pre-season. Team needs time. I'm strangely glad Dean picked AEG and played Young at LW, and played JMcG and Marv... because I feel like we would've conceded those first 2 goals regardless of if he'd started Bailey or Traore or any of the younger guns and it might have destroyed their confidence or fans faith unfairly early.

Shake the cobwebs out. Up the sharpness during the week. Drop AEG (and send him out on loan/sell), Bailey in for Ash. Hope watkins gets fit.

Martinelli & Richarlison played this weekend! Where's Doug!?

Marv can only feature as DM in a midfield 3, as a screen. Don't want to see him in the final third ever. Just. Stay. Back.

Can't play buendia in midfield without 2 other strong holding mids. Luiz & Marv are best at that, but an upgrade is required with a bit of strength. Badly need a Declan Rice or Kalvin Phillips type of mobile DM. 

If we play a mf 3 without Marv, Emi has to play wing forward, which means one of Ings/Bailey misses out/rotates. Ings can't lead the line by himself by the looks of it - especially if we're not playing into feet ffs. How many crosses to nowhere? Surely that wasn't the plan! He was dominated on any high ball all day.

We're too lightweight to play a 2 man midfield. Ramsey actually looks the strongest physically out of all options. We especially can't play 2 marauding CMs... like wtf? And maurauding fullbacks? And lazy wingers? Asking to get spanked by any team in this league.

How many times did we see Watford running at Mings or Konsa with zero cover? A better side would've put 7 past us.

Better in last 20 mins - but there are fundamental problems to solve.

Will be a very tough season. The safe bet would be to spunk £60M on the biggest, strongest, most composed DM who'd be willing to come. No idea who - but we've a giant hole in the middle of the park. Someone needs to drop & take the ball off the CBs, turn around and start a move. Like Luiz was doing a while ago. Can't rely on Mings/Konsa to be deep lying playmakers. 

Words of the day: naive, weak, slow, disorganised, selfish, individuals... fixable!

Luiz is one of those players who will leave us and go onto be a CL regular for a Spanish / Italian side before returning to a top 4 prem club for £65M when he turns 27.

Problem is he joined us too young. We need the player he will be in 3 years, but that guy wouldn't join a mid-table side.

Hope I'm wrong and he's consistently good enough this year to command a 1st team spot.

Good Athletic article post 2019/20 season on Ings:

Quote

This season, Danny Ings was undeniable.

The first Southampton player to score more than 20 Premier League goals in a season since James Beattie in 2003, Ings took a side who were unsure of themselves going forward and put them on his back. Ralph Hasenhuttl may preach the power of the collective but it’s probably best not to think about where Southampton would be without Ings’ on-field efforts.

https://theathletic.com/1944677/2020/07/27/danny-ings-southampton-firmino-fernandes-analysis?source=user-shared-article

Just now, AvfcRigo82 said:

Ben White is good, but I don't think £50m on a CB to challenge for a place is a wise move at this stage.

That lad from Man Utd would be a more sensible option at this stage imo.

Or to play in a back 3? Nice to have that option 

We should be going for Ben White if he's available. Very good ball-playing CB who'd have a big impact going forward against weaker sides and challenge Konsa & Mings. We struggled against defensive sides to progress the ball last season unless we went ahead early.

Also, Arsenal are going for him, which would make it extra funny.